Telescopic wagon tongue



April 1949- c. c. SANCKEN 2,468,377

TELESCOPIC WAGON TONGUE Filed D90. 16. 1946 Inventor Carl C. Sancken By flaw-40%.

Patented Apr. 26, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE V TELESCOPI C SZfLN TONGUE Carl C. Sancken, Saunemin, Ill.

7 Claims.

' This invention relates to improvements in telescopic wagon tongues. An object of the invention is to provide an improved telescopic wagon tongue which will be used in telescoped position when a load is being pulled, and which may be extended when a wagon and a tractor used for pulling the same is to be operated on different levels without removing or disconnecting the tractor from said wagon tongue.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved telescopic tongue for wagons which may be extended when the wagon and a tractor used for pulling the same are disposed upon different levels, and means for automatically locking the tongue when its sections are telescoped together.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved telescopic wagon tongue which will include slidable tongue sections having means for locking the said sections in telescoped position, and additional means for automatically locking said sections together when the same are moved from extended position to their telescoped position.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved telescopic wagon tongue which will be highly efficient in operation, and relatively inexpensive to manufacture and produce.

Other objects will appear as the description proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings which form a part of this application,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved telescopic wagon tongue showing the same in telescoped position;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the improved telescopic wagon tongue showing the same in telescoped position, and

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view through the improved telescopic wagon tongue showing the same in extended position.

Like characters of reference are used through-" out the following specification and the accompanying drawings to designate corresponding parts.

In carrying out the invention, there is provided an improved form of telescopic wagon tongue including an inner section generally denoted by the reference numeral I being formed of spaced parallel longitudinally extending L- shaped angle iron beams 2 and 3. The metal cross brace reinforcing plates 4, 5 and 6 are secured by welding to the bottom surfaces of said beams 2 and 3 at spaced intervals, thereby providing a U-shaped rigid inner tongue section.

A metal stop block 1 is disposed in the channel formed between the two beams 2 and 3, being welded to said beams and adapted to extend upwardly above the upper surface of said beams at a point intermediate said cross brace plates 4 and 5, to provide a stop for the rear end of the outer tongue section, later to be described when the same is telescoped to its innermost position.

The outer tongue section comprises an elongated metal bar 8 substantially rectangular in cross section, being of a size to readily slide within the U-shaped inner tongue section I.

An offset clevis 9 will be secured by the bolts or fastening means In to the upper surface of the outer end of said outer tongue section 8, and will be formed with an aperture ll extending therethrough which will be aligned with the vertical passage [2 formed through said outer tongue section 8, whereby a tractor connection (not shown) may be attached to said tongue section and detachably held in place by a vertical pin (not shown) when dropped through said aligned openings.

A pair of metal cross bracing and reinforcing plates I3 and [4 Will be welded to the upper edges of the iron beams 2 and 3 overlying said bracing plates 4 and =6, and'a metal cross bracing and reinforcing plate will be welded to the upper edges of the iron beams 2 and 3 at a point intermediate said plates [3 and I4.

An upwardly extending bracket l6 will be welded or otherwise secured to the upper surface of the cross bracing plate 15, and will terminate in the yoke portion I! which will be formed with transversely aligned bearing apertures I8 for re-.

' ceiving the bearing pin l9 upon which the actuating lever 20 is pivotally supported.

The rear end of the actuating lever 20 supports a pivot pin 2| upon which the upper forked end 22 of a depending tongue locking bar or rod 23 supported.

A coil spring 21 will be connected at its oppo site ends to said actuating lever 28 and to said bracket I6, for normally urging said locking bar or rod 23 to its lowermost or looking position.

The outer end of the actuating lever 20 is formed with an elongated slot 28 and an angled entrance slot 29 extending inwardly from the lower edge of said lever 20 merging therewith, for

engaging and securing a transversely extending cable loop 30 suitably secured at its opposite ends to the opposite sides of said metal angle iron beams 2 and 3 when the outer end of the lever is manually depressed against the tension of the coil spring 21 to draw the locking bar or rod 23 upwardly from the bore 26 and aperture formed respectively in the outer tongue section 8 and in the bottom cross brace plate 5, thus releasing and unlocking the tongue sections for moving the outersection 8 to its extended posi, tion.

An L-shaped bracket 3| of angle iron will be welded to the upper surface of the outer tongue section 8, and will support the cable releasing;

bar 32 pivoted on the pivot pin 33 with its inner end normally extending upwardly at an angle and with its outer end in contact with-saidouter tongue section 8.

In operation, when it is desired to extend the I outer tongue section 8, the outer end of the actuating lever 20, will be depressed and the cable secured through said angled slot "29, to seat in the slot Z8 at a point. directly'to the a f the n of the able releasing bar 32. The locking bar or rod 23 being released will permit the outer tongue section 8 to be extended, as for example when the wagon (not. shown) is to be positioned on an upper level and its. hauling tractor (not shown) which is connected to H the forward end of the outer tongue section '8, will be on a lower level, the tongue may be extended to permit the wagon and its tractor to, remain connected when the same are at "different levels. As soon as the tongue sections l and 8 arev to be telescoped, the inward movementof the outer section "8 will cause the raised end of the cable releasing'bar to force the, cable 30 out of the slot 28, whereupon the sprin '21 will pull the locking bar or rod '23' downwardly to drop into and through the aligned slots when the tongue sections have been telescoped to their innermost limit with the inner end of the tongue section 8 contacting the stop'lug I.

From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that there has been devised and pro-v vided a highly efficient form of telescopic'wagon tongue, which will be highly efiicient and effective in operation, and relatively inexpensive to manufacture and produce.

While the preferred embodiment of the instant invention has been illustrated and described, it wil1 be understood that his not intended to limit the scope'of the invention thereto, as many minor changes in detail of construction may be resorted to without departure from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described my invention what 'I claimas new and desire tO-secure by hettcrs Patent of the United'Stat-es is r l. A telescopic wagon tongue comprising a U-shaped' inner section and a solid bar outer section slidably received therein, means-for atslot in said actuating lever when said sections t'arefibeing moved to telescoped position.

-31. The subject matter as claimed in claim 1, pivoted releasing means on said outer tongue section for releasing said cable from the slot in saidectuating lever when said sections are being moved to telescoped position, and a stop for limiting the inward movement of said outer tongue .member .engageableby the inner tend thereof.

4. .A coupling device .for vehicle tongues comprising two longitudinal sliding members consisting .of a first and second section, means lto secure. :said ,members for sliding .movement to; wards, and .away from eachother resilien-tly ten-q. sioned locking means including a ,pivotall --ac.- tuated .lever and a depending .locki-ng; .rod pivotally engageable with onemember .Whenintele scopedposition, and means forholdingsaid-loanin-g means in released ,positiomincluding a slot, in said lever and a cable loop on said other member.engageabletherein.

"5. The combination of claim 4, and a pivoted releasing means onsaid other member :for releasing, said cable from theslotin, said actuate ing lever when said sections/are,- heing. moved longitudinally. 1

6. The combination .of claim, 4, wherein said longitudinal members. are slidablyireceivedupon eachv other.

'7. A telescopic wagon tongue comprising 7a,, U-shaped inner section and -.-a solid abar router section. slidably received therein, means. for atathing. said outer tongue section. toma wagbm resiliently tensioned. pivoted means tor locking, said sections intheir telescoped position, .aslot on said pivoted means, and a cable loop onlsaida inner tongue section for holding saidlocking means'in released position.

CARL. SANCKEN,

REFERENCES- enni) The. following references: are a or :record' :inszthe file-oi thispatentz; VI

UNITED-STATES PATENTS Number Name Date; 252,866 Casaday: -g clam. f31,; Q2882: 1,,il&, 2.62; -Hndgens l :Maymiiii; 1922 1,829.,0il2 

